News

Ride to Work Day shows congestion busting benefits of scooters

Thu, Jun 23rd, 2011 1:11:17 pm

More time for coffee when you get into work!

Escalating fuel prices do not seem to have made British roads any less congested – according to a recent report from satellite navigation experts TomTom, seven of Europe's 20 most congested cities are located in the UK.

As a result scooters are enjoying a resurgence of popularity in Britain, with new registrations up by 16% compared to the same period last year.

In order to demonstrate the benefits of two-wheeled transport, Peugeot Scooters arranged a scooter and 'chauffeur' to collect a local councillor from the market town of Witney and transport him to a meeting in central Oxford, ranked 13th most congested city in Europe. This was one of many such events organised as part of International Ride to Work Day, when motorbike and scooter riders around the world show that life would be better if more people rode motorcycles and scooters every day, with time savings, less congestion and reduced travel costs.

Motorists would normally allow an hour to make the 10 mile journey into Oxford during the rush hour, particularly if they needed to find parking at their destination. The bus journey is scheduled to take 40 minutes, not including waiting times.

"We had a hassle free run into Oxford that lasted less than 25 minutes door-to-door, way quicker than either car or bus, and in plenty of time for the 9.30 start of my conference” says Duncan. “With free all-day motorcycle parking available nearby I can see why people are switching to scooters."

“Leaving Oxford just after 5 o'clock, we encountered stop-start traffic on the A40 on the return trip, but the scooter just glided past all the cars and lorries. It felt perfectly safe” he continues. “Even the heavy rain showers didn't affect us, with the scooter's bodywork deflecting the rain and leaving me almost totally dry. Not only was it much faster than car or bus, but riding the scooter meant I wasn't stuck in a traffic jam wondering how long I'd be sitting there.” ﻿